Establishing credibility

Becoming business-minded requires a high level of initiative, especially if there is no ongoing education program or way of integrating all of the business functions within your organization to give the IT group exposure to these issues. The good news is that corporate leadership generally understands the need for IT to become more involved with the business as it relates to IT and should be supportive of your efforts to learn more about it. In fact, they'll expect it and will likely be willing to provide training.

Something you can do on your own, however, is to start reading and understanding your organization's financial statements. Learn to read P&L statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements. Further your education by pursuing an MBA or other business training, but most importantly, stay on top of what is impacting the business both externally and internally. What are the general economic dynamics that are impacting the company?

Next, interact with other business units -- individuals in finance, marketing, operations. By showing an awareness of the issues affecting your users, you will go a long way in establishing your credibility and fostering a productive working relationship.

Seek to understand what is affecting the business lives of these people and what they are dealing with, and translate that into the kind of IT support they need. Meet with users regularly and get a sense for how you can leverage IT in a way that makes their lives easier, meets their goals and saves or even makes the organization money. Then, keep up with economic and industry trends by reading industry publications and business periodicals.